Audio Transcribed

Well, Creatures of Class stems from the continuation of research conducted for The Invention of the Northeast, when we discovered the sociologist Jessé Souza and his entire body of work, which discusses the middle class — actually, it focuses extensively on the middle class. We then decided to separate the research because we felt it wouldn’t fit within The Invention of the Northeast, as it was clearly a different production. 

After premiering The Invention of the Northeast, we began this research, diving into Jessé Souza’s works to construct a dramaturgy that places at the center of the stage a middle-class family: a mother, two children from different and separated fathers, all living in a condominium. The entire play takes place within this setting. It’s a family in debt but maintaining appearances — just like the middle class in Brazil today — while dealing with conflicts that are central issues in contemporary Brazilian society and deeply rooted in this social class. 

The play revisits the origins of the middle class, starting with enslaved women who were raped by landowning colonels, giving birth to children who were neither considered white nor black — those who remained in a liminal space. When the Empire transitioned into a Republic, these individuals assumed public office. So, the play is about recovering this history and critically reassessing this class and its issues. 

The production incorporates video, re-enacted history, projections, a lot of music, and that sharp, comedic, and biting tone that Grupo Carmin loves to work with — blending irony, critique, and an engaging mix of elements. 

​